Devices Dropping Off Wi-Fi - New Build w/ Concrete Walls

[EllenSuth]

Hi everyone,

I was hoping someone more technically minded than me might be able to help me work out what is causing an issue with my new Sky Broadband. I have just moved into a new flat and gotten Full Fibre 300, and the actual broadband speed is absolutely fine for my needs. Have checked, and there don't seem to be any network issues in my area either. The problem is that my devices are regularly dropping off the Wi-Fi network altogether as though losing signal, rather than the connection simply being slow.

It's happening with my phone and laptop, and occasionally my Sky Stream puck as well. Pages will crash and reload when I'm halfway through filling in a form, or a video will stop because my device has lost its connection. The devices reconnect again when I switch Wi-Fi on and off, but it happens often enough to be quite annoying.

I'm wondering whether the layout of my flat could be contributing. It's a new-build flat with fairly thick concrete walls, and unfortunately the only place I can connect the router to the fibre terminal is in a cupboard right by the front door. The flat is kind of T-shaped, with the router having to sit at the bottom of the T. The areas where I seem to have the most problems are the living room (top left of the T) and bedroom (top right of the T), so I'm wondering if the combination of the router being tucked away in a cupboard and having to get through several concrete walls is causing poor coverage.

I'm renting, so unfortunately I can't have someone run a new connection through the walls to relocate the router. I'm therefore looking for renter-friendly solutions if this does indeed sound like a coverage problem.

A few questions:

• Does this sound like a coverage/interference issue, or could there be something else causing devices to disconnect?

• Would a WiFi booster help in this situation?

• Are there any other renter-friendly things I could try before spending more money on additional equipment?

Any advice would be very much appreciated! I'm not very technically minded, so apologies if I've misunderstood anything 😅

[Chrisee · Accepted solution]

@EllenSuth your issues do sound like they are connected to the layout of your new flat. W iFi signals lose power when passing through solid objects the denser the object the greater the loss anything metal like reinforcing rods block the signal. Whoever built your flst compounded the issue by requiring the WiFi router to be placed in a cupboard. Your flat sounds a s difficult to network as a stone cottage.

Hopefully thedeveloper did at least install some Ethernet cables linked to the other rooms? If they did then the solution is relstively simple you buy some WiFi access points connect them using the Ethernet links. Otherwise you are going to need more than a single extender. Ideally move the Sky hub out of the cupboard perhaps by buying a longer Ethernet cable. Add Sky's WiFi Max package and ask for a pod extender which should be plugged near the top of the T. If ghat is insufficent Sky will send out an enginerr to seeif adding two more extenders can help.

[AbbyBem]

We have just switched to Sky Wifi and having this exact problem, never had it before with EE! Ridiculous. Its a bungalow as well. Help anyone?